Why Phong Nha Caves is special ?

Phong Nha Cave is another well-known stop if you are in the Phong Nha - Ke Bang national Park. It's less crowded than tha Paradise cave.

Situated roughly 45km to the northwest of the provincial capital ofDong Hoi, the limestone massifs surrounding Phong Nha are similar to those seen on the Andaman coast of Thailand and central Laos around Vang Vieng and Vieng Xai and mark the stark change in the geology of Vietnam as you pass from south to north.

Phong Nha Cave is a cave in Phong Nha-Kẻ Bàng National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site in Quảng Bình Province, Vietnam. It is 7,729 metres long and contains 14 grottoes, as well as a 13,969 metre underground river. While scientists have surveyed 44.5 kilometres of passages, tourists are only allowed to explore the first 1500 metres. It is the second biggest cave in Vietnam.

What to explore at Phong Nha Caves?

It is only accessible by boat and features an underground river. The caverns that are open to tourists are quite close to the mouth of the cave. Just as you enter, to the right, the boat puts out on a landing giving on to a set of stairs that leads to two caverns, or grottos. At 400 million years of age, these are some of the oldest limestone formations in the world. The curiosities produced when water trickles slowly through limestone for eons are visible everywhere. Intricate stalactites, stalagmites and ground formations are on display everywhere — it’s truly an underground wonderland.

You first go with the boat to the Pha Nah cave and finish walking, at the exit the stairs to theTien Son cave are just some meters away, so you start the climbing.

The stair were let's say a bit challenging, just cuz of the temperature and the number of them but you dont have to be in great shape to do it. Because of the steps not many people go to the Tien Son cave, so we were totally alone in it and that was a plus for the experience, and the view of the river from the top is nice too.

How to get to Phong Nha Caves?

The access to the national park was very limited and strictly controlled by the Vietnamese military. Access is still quite tightly controlled for good reason (the park is still riddled with unexploded ordnance). Officially you are not allowed to hike here without a licensed tour operator.

You can however travel independently (on a motorbike or car) on the Ho Chi Minh Highway or Hwy 20 that cut through the park. Sights that can be visited include the astounding Paradise Cave, turquoise river, ecotrail of Nuoc Mooc and a war shrine known as Eight Lady cave.